Japanese ships on goodwill visit to city

While `Kashima’ is fitted with 76 mm 62 caliber rapid fire gun and 324 torpedo tubes, `Yugiri’ has a wide array of weapons like 76 mm guns, harpoon launchers, SAM Sea Sparrow launcher, ASROC launcher, 324 torpedo tubes and SH-60J anti-submarine helicopter.

Commander of the training squadron Rear Admiral Eiji Yoshikawa told The Indian Express that the two ships were part of a flotilla of four vessels used by JMSDF to impart naval training to young officers on board and give them opportunity to familiarise themselves with other navies in different parts of the world.

Yoshikawa added that this visit could be a prelude to joint naval exercises and an opportunity to tighten relationships between the two countries.

The ship’s crew has a complement of seven women, of which four are under commissioned officers. Sailors attached to the training squadron are based at Hiroshima in western Japan.

Japan’s naval might consists of 55 destroyers and 16 submarines, which are battery-powered.

The two ships set sail from Japan on April 13 and are expected to visit nine countries and 11 ports in Asia, Europe and America. They are expected to return to their base in Hiroshima by September 8, said Colonel Masahito Yamazawa.

The Japanese training squadron will leave Mumbai on May 10 and proceed to Port Alexandria in Egypt.